


prose and cons

by siojo



Category: One Piece
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Bad Puns, Bookshop, Flirting, Literary Puns, M/M, technically pre-slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-13
Updated: 2020-01-13
Packaged: 2021-02-26 06:50:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 623
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22235167
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/siojo/pseuds/siojo
Summary: Izou knows that his cats all look similar, that doesn't mean that he understand how people don't realize there's four of them.
Relationships: Izou/Thatch (One Piece)
Comments: 7
Kudos: 62





	prose and cons

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Red velvet](https://archiveofourown.org/works/13172517) by [MyLadyDay](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MyLadyDay/pseuds/MyLadyDay). 

“How many cats do you have,” Thatch asked leaning against the counter as Izou counted out the shipment that he had just gotten in. “I know there’s at least two, but I’ve never seen more than two at a time.”

“Four,” Izou answered, grinning as Thatch gaped in confusion. “Did you not know?”

“No! How do you have four cats? Do they all look alike?”

Izou laughed, scratching under Jane’s chin as she pawed at his fingers, “I have Jane Pawsten here, Inigo Meowtoya is napping on the romance novels,” Thatch twisted to catch sight of the similarly colored cat sprawled over the top of the sign on the bookshelf. “Franz Catka and Henry Hissinger are curled up in the bookmark cubbies.”

“Four cats,” Thatch sounded betrayed as he placed his hand on his chest. “How could you not have told me that there were four of them?”

“I thought that you knew,” Izou said shrugging as he tapped the paperwork he had been going over.

“Was I supposed to just guess that you had four cats? You don’t have anything to say that there’s more than two.”

“Most people notice that they have different colored collars.”

“Do you own anything that isn’t named with a pun?” Thatch asked, instead of paying attention to Izou’s comment, stealing Jane’s attention with a grin. “I mean Prose and Cons, not to mention the cats. They’re all puns of some kind.”

Izou smiled softly, “I have an affection for puns.”

“An affection for puns, is it?” Thatch teased. “I don’t think that it’s just an affection at this point.”

“How would you know? Are you a doctor specializing in pun addiction?”

Thatch smirked, eyes bright as he leaned forward, “And if I am?”

“Maybe I should arrange for a check up,” Izou said grinning when Thatch’s cheeks turned red. “Think you can help me, doctor?”

“We’re flirting right?” Thatch asked after a moment, scratching behind Jane’s ears. “I mean, if we’re not that’s also fine, but I’ve never been good at telling if someone is flirting with me or not.”

Izou hummed, low and thoughtful, “Would you mind if I flirted with you?”

“I wouldn’t mind.”

“Than it could be flirting,” Izou said putting away the papers he had finished filling out with a sigh. “I want coffee, it’s too late in the afternoon for me to have so much work left to do.”

Thatch laughed, smile bright as he set a travel mug down on the counter, “I might have something to help you with that.”

“How long have you had that?” Izou demanded, taking a sip and humming happily. “And how is it still hot?”

“Magic and it’s a thermos,” Thatch answered, pouting as Jane jumped down from the counter and vanished behind a bookshelf with a flick of her tail. “Kitty no.”

Izou rolled his eyes, sipping his coffee as Thatch waved mournfully at where Jane had been, “You could try to lure one of the others out of their naps to play with them.”

“But they’re sleeping,” Thatch muttered, dropping his head into his hands and smiling when he caught Izou’s eye. “Do you ever think about more cats? I mean, you do have a theme here.”

“I’ve thought about it, but that would mean having to go back to the shelter and taking only one of them home with me.”

“Only one?” Thatch repeated.

Izou sighed, “I can only add one cat to my store at a time, to make sure the others can accept the new addition,” he shrugged. “And I would need a new name.”

“Winston Furchill,” Thatch said instantly, looking pleased with himself. “I have a couple more names if you need them.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”


End file.
